Packaging device and method for fitting a carrier belt with electronic components

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a packaging system having a tool for inserting electronic components into a carrier tape, which has passage openings. The tool has a pick-up device to pick up the components from a carrier film and position them in the passage openings by means of a lifting movement. The packaging system has a guide plate for the linear sliding conveyance of the carrier tape populated with electronic components, and in each case devices for applying upper and lower cover films to the carrier tape. The invention additionally relates to a method of populating the carrier tape with electronic components.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a packaging system with a tool for enclosingelectronic components in a carrier tape, and a method of populating thecarrier tape.

For the purpose of transport and delivery to an automatic placementmachine, electronic components are often enclosed in what are known ascarrying or transport tapes, which can be stored and transported in therolled-up state. Transport tapes of this type have preformed tapepockets, in which electronic components can be arranged and transportedin an accurate position, and can be removed from the transport tapes inan accurate position. For the purpose of transport, the tape pockets ofa transport tapes are covered with the aid of a covering tape, so thatthe electronic components cannot fall out of the tape pockets and cannotchange their position in relation to the three spatial axes until theyare removed from the transport tapes.

During the introduction and positioning, in particular of small and/orlightweight electronic components and/or semiconductor chips, such asare needed in great numbers for integrated circuit technology,illumination and laser engineering and the like, rapid placement with ahigh throughput rate is associated with the risk that the componentswill jump out of the tape pockets and therefore hamper the placementoperation of an automatic placement machine for transport tapesconsiderably. Not only does the placement have to be interrupted, but inprinciple the automatic machine has to look for the electroniccomponents that have jumped out and the placement position of theautomatic machine has to be redefined and readjusted.

A further problem in the placement of transport tapes with small and/orlightweight electronic components in the millmeter range is to be seenin the fact that the precision requirements both on the shaping of thetape pockets and on the automatic placement machines require continuallyincreasing investment and development costs, in order to position theelectronic components precisely and in an accurate position in the tapepockets, and in order to meet these precision requirements.

Electronic components are inserted into the pockets of the transporttape by means of a rotary cross or a pivoting arm. The electroniccomponents are at this time already separated on the wafer or on theblank to such an extent that they can be separated from a carrier filmand picked up by the pivoting arm. All the methods described need arelatively great deal of handling and are therefore associated withcertain minimum cycle times.

Pick-up devices for handling and positioning semiconductor chips attheir envisaged installation location are disclosed by JP 100 84 005 A,by JP 100 84 006 A and by JP 100 84 032 A. A device for positioningsemiconductor chips is also disclosed by JP 061 51 483 A.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention provides a device and a method forpopulating transport tapes with electronic components or semiconductorchips with which rapid, reliable and precise population with electroniccomponents from transport tapes such as paper tapes with a double-sidedfilm cover or blister tapes with a single-sided film cover is possible.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a packaging system isprovided with a guide plate for the linear guidance of a carrier tapethat can be populated with electronic components or with semiconductorchips. The guidance can be carried out horizontally in a sliding manner.The guide plate has a passage opening.

The packaging system has a carrier-tape populating tool, which has avacuum pipette and a lifting needle, which can also generally beconstructed as a lifting device. In this case, the vacuum pipette isdesigned in such a way that it can pick up an electronic component ineach case or a semiconductor chip in each case from above. The liftingneedle can be constructed in such a way that it guides the electroniccomponent or the semiconductor chip from below.

The vacuum pipette and the lifting needle are intended to pick upvertically in each case an electronic component or semiconductor chipprovided on a carrier film or carrier plate and to position theelectronic component or semiconductor chip picked up in each case in acavity or a passage opening in each case on a carrier tape. In thiscase, the vacuum pipette and/or the lifting needle can in each casecarry out a lifting movement and move in and/or through the passageopening in the guide plate.

The components are wiped off the vacuum pipette, specifically inparticular by the movement of the carrier tape in the transportdirection.

The packaging system further comprises at least one upper cover filmdevice for applying an upper cover film and/or a lower cover film devicefor applying a lower cover film to the carrier tape.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the packaging systemaccording to the invention comprises a tool for inserting electroniccomponents into a carrier tape, which has passage openings to holdindividual electronic components. The tool has a pick-up device with avacuum pipette and a lifting needle to pick up the electronic componentsvertically from a carrier film or carrier plate and to position thecomponents in the passage openings by means of a lifting movement of thevacuum forceps. The carrier tape is guided in the horizontal transportdirection in such a way that it wipes the components off the vacuumpipette in the transport direction. The packaging system also has aguide plate for the linear, sliding horizontal conveyance of the carriertape populated with electronic components, and in each case devices forapplying an upper and a lower cover film to the carrier tape.

The packaging system according to this embodiment of the invention hasonly minimal handling movement to pick up and transfer electroniccomponents located on a blank into a carrier tape. The components merelyhave to be pushed upwards by means of a linear lifting movement, so thatno kind of complicated handling steps or method steps of the vacuumpipette are necessary. In addition, no additional tools or aids arerequired in order to remove the electronic components from a vacuumpipette, since this task is performed by the carrier tape to bepopulated. Wiping the electronic component of the vacuum pipette bymeans of the carrier tape is a procedure which treats the electroniccomponent gently. By using a vacuum pipette which has a centralcapillary that is evacuated during the lifting operation and during thewiping operation, the component and in particular the upper side of thecomponent are treated gently. To this end, the vacuum pipette has at itstip a highly polished minimum contact surface, onto which the upper sideof the component is pressed. This contact surface can belong to a Teflontip, which is correspondingly compliant, and does not damage the upperside of the component. In the case of metallic vacuum pipettes, thecontact surface can additionally be hardened, in order to achieve longservice lives. Hardening of this type can be carried out by means ofdiffusion hardening, which means that no additional surface layer isbuilt up. In the case of what is known as “Kolsterising”, hardnessesfrom about 1200 to 1300 Vickers are achieved without additional materialbeing applied.

A further advantage of the vacuum pipette with its highly polishedminimum contact surface is that a small amount of vacuum power issufficient to hold the component with the evacuated capillary.Furthermore, adjustment and adaptation of the vacuum pipette both to thethickness of the components and to the thickness of the carrier tapesare possible with simple means.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pick-up device is avacuum pipette, which permits gentle and secure handling of theelectronic components. According to a further embodiment of theinvention, the vacuum pipette has a lifting direction at right angles tothe conveying direction of the carrier tape and through the passageopenings in the latter. Just like the vacuum pipette, the lifting needlein one embodiment also has a lifting direction at right angles to theconveying direction of the carrier tape and as far as the lower edge ofthe passage openings in the latter. The only minimal lifting movementsof the vacuum pipette and of the lifting needle ensure exact positioningand deposition of the electronic components in the carrier tape.According to one embodiment of the invention, the lifting movements ofthe lifting needle are synchronised with the lifting movements of thevacuum pipette, and the vacuum is maintained until the transport tapemoving forward has wiped the electronic component off the mouthpiece ofthe vacuum pipette.

An alternative embodiment of the invention provides for at least thevacuum pipette to have a horizontal movement component in the samedirection as the conveying direction of the carrier tape as it insertsan electronic component into a passage opening. This horizontal movementcomponent of the vacuum pipette reliably prevents the electroniccomponents falling out downwards after the vacuum has been removed.

The electronic components can be picked up and deposited in the carriertape particularly simply if they are applied to a component carrier or ablank in rows and/or columns and are held together by a carrier film.

The component carrier or the blank with the carrier film, according to afurther embodiment of the invention, is applied to a support table thatcan be displaced horizontally, which makes rapid and accuratedisplacement and positioning of the electronic components underneath thecarrier tape easier. In one embodiment, the support table can bedisplaced in a first horizontal direction parallel to the conveyingdirection of the carrier tape and in a second horizontal direction atright angles thereto.

In order to separate the electronic components from the blank or thecarrier foil without difficulty, the support table has a second openingof larger diameter than the lifting needle, which can in each case bemoved into a position located vertically underneath a passage opening inthe carrying tape. The lifting needle can be pushed through this openingand, together with the vacuum pipette, can convey the respectiveelectronic component into the carrier tape.

In one embodiment, the guide plate has a first opening of largerdiameter than an outline of an electronic component, through whichopening the linear lifting axes of the vacuum pipette and of the liftingneedle extend centrally. Located directly above this first opening isthe passage opening in the carrier tape, into which an electroniccomponent is deposited in each case.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, downstream of thepick-up device in the conveying direction of the carrier tape, thepackaging system has feed devices for the lower cover film and for theupper cover film. The latter are pressed onto the underside and upperside of the tape by means of deflection rollers and by a pressing devicein each case, and are connected to the said tape. This can be carriedout, for example, by means of a heating device or else by adhesivebonding. The feed device for the upper cover film is arrangeddownstream, in the conveying direction of the carrier tape, of the feeddevice for the lower cover film.

In order that the electronic components cannot fall through their feedslot in the guide plate when the lower cover film is being applied, avacuum suction device is provided above the feed device for the lowercover film, by means of which the electronic components are held in thepassage opening.

The method according to one embodiment of the invention for populating acarrier tape with electronic components has the following steps. Acarrier tape is provided with passage openings for a packaging systemfor populating with electronic components. By means of a vacuum pipette,individual electronic components are picked up from a support tablearranged underneath the conveying plate of the packaging system. In eachcase an electronic component is introduced into each passage opening inthe carrier tape by means of a vertical lifting movement of the vacuumpipette that lifts the electronic component. The electronic component isthen wiped off the vacuum pipette with the aid of the carrier tape. Anupper side of a tape is closed by applying an upper cover film. In thesame way, an underside of a tape is closed by applying a lower coverfilm.

With this method, the electronic component is transferred extremelygently into the passage openings or cavities in the carrier tape, sincethe contact surface of the vacuum pipette is extremely small and wipingthe electronic component off in the horizontal direction from thiscontact surface does not represent any loading on the electroniccomponent.

A configuration of the method according to one embodiment of theinvention provides for the electronic components to be picked up fromabove by a vacuum pipette and from below by a lifting needle, whichpermits exact deposition of the components in the carrier tape. In oneembodiment, the vacuum pipette and the lifting needle carry out avertical lifting movement through a first opening in the guide plate,while the transport tape is moved transversely thereto and wipes theelectronic component off the vacuum pipette in the transport direction.

An alternative embodiment of the method according to the inventionprovides for at least the vacuum pipette to carry out a horizontalmovement with the conveying direction of the carrier tape as it insertsthe electronic component into a passage opening in the latter, as aresult of which the electronic components are reliably prevented fromfalling out downwards through the first opening after the vacuum to thevacuum pipette has been switched off.

The lower cover film is applied to the carrier tape from below through afeed slot in the guide plate. In order that the electronic componentscannot fall down through this feed slot, a vacuum suction device isprovided above the feed device for the lower cover film.

The upper and lower cover film in each case be applied in an adhesivemanner by means of a heating device to the upper side and lower side ofthe tape. Alternatively, the cover films can also be adhesively bondedto the carrier tape. In one embodiment, the carrier tape used is a papertape. The cover films are in one embodiment made of thermoplastic orlikewise of paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the present invention and are incorporated in andconstitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate theembodiments of the present invention and together with the descriptionserve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments ofthe present invention and many of the intended advantages of the presentinvention will be readily appreciated as they become better understoodby reference to the following detailed description. The elements of thedrawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Likereference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic illustration of a packaging systemaccording to the invention having a tool for inserting electroniccomponents into a carrier tape.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed extract from the packaging systemcorresponding to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a basic sketch of the pick-up device of a furtherembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shownby way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention maybe practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used withreference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Becausecomponents of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned ina number of different orientations, the directional terminology is usedfor purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural orlogical changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is notto be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present inventionis defined by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-section of a packaging system 2according to the invention having a tool 4 for inserting electroniccomponents 10 into a carrier tape 6. The tool 4 comprises a pick-updevice 41 for picking up and transferring electronic components 10 whichare in groups on a blank 8. By means of the pick-up device 41, whichsubstantially comprises a vacuum pipette 42 and a lifting needle 43,individual electronic components 10 are separated from a carrier film 81belonging to the blank 8 and placed in passage openings 63 in thecarrier tape 6.

The carrier tape 6 in one embodiment consists of paper and is conveyedin a sliding manner on a guide plate 21. The guide plate 21 extends overa sufficient length such that, in the conveying direction C behind thetool 4, sufficient space remains to apply an upper cover film 64 to anupper side 61 of the tape and a lower cover film 65 to an underside 62of the tape. For this purpose, the feed device 26 for the lower coverfilm 65 is provided on the underside of the guide plate 21, by means ofwhich the lower cover film 65 is led up to the underside 62 of the tapeover a plurality of deflection rollers (conveying direction E).

Above the feed device 26 for the lower cover film 65 there is provided avacuum suction device 27, by means of which the electronic components 10lying in the passage openings 63 in the carrier tape 6 and pushed alongon the guide plate 21 by the latter are sucked upwards to a guidecovering 29 of the guide plate 21 and are prevented from falling outdownwards from a feed slot 32 for the lower cover film 65.

Behind the feed device 26 for the lower cover film 65, in the conveyingdirection C of the carrier tape 6, there is arranged a feed device 25for an upper cover film 64, by means of which the upper cover film 64 isled up to the upper side 61 of the tape over a plurality of deflectionrollers (conveying direction D). By means of heating devices 28, theupper and lower cover films 64, 65 are firmly connected in adhesivemanner to the carrier tape 6. By means of the cover films 64, 65 theelectronic components 10 are prevented from falling out of the passageopenings 63 in the carrier tape 6. The cover films 64, 65 in oneembodiment consist of a thermoplastic and are melted point by point bymeans of the heating devices 28 and connected to the paper carrier tape6. Alternatively, instead of the heating devices 28, provision can alsobe made for possible ways of connecting the cover films 64, 65 to thecarrier tape 6 by means of adhesive bonds.

The carrier tape 6, after being populated with the electronic components10, can be wound up onto a roll, which means it is suitable to betransported and delivered to an assembly line.

FIG. 2 illustrates, in a schematic cross-section, a detailed extractfrom the packaging system 2 corresponding to FIG. 1. In this case, theactions of picking up and transferring the electronic components 10 fromthe blank 8 into the carrier tape 6 are illustrated.

The blank 8 comprises a carrier film 81, on which the electroniccomponents 10 are fitted in an adhesive manner in rows and columns. Thecarrier film 81 rests with its underside on a support table 22, whichcan be displaced in the horizontal direction. In one embodiment, thesupport table 22 can be displaced in the conveying direction C of thecarrier tape 6 and at right angles thereto. Provided centrally in thesupport table 22, what is known as the vacuum mushroom, a second passageopening 24 is provided, through which a lifting needle 43 can be movedvertically upwards (lifting direction B). While the component is beinglifted, vacuum is applied to the vacuum mushroom in order to hold theadhesive film 81 on the vacuum mushroom.

The support table 22 is located immediately underneath the guide plate21, so that an electronic component 10 can be conveyed directly from theblank 81 into a passage opening 63 in the carrier tape 6 by means of thepick-up device 41 of the tool 4 and can be deposited there. For thispurpose, the vacuum pipette 42 can be moved through a first opening 23in the guide plate 21, downwards through the latter, in the directionopposite to the lifting direction A, and placed on an upper side of anelectronic component 10. At the same time, the lifting needle 43 ispressed against the carrier film 81 from below. By means of asimultaneous lifting movement of the lifting needle 43 and of the vacuumpipette (lifting directions A, B), the electronic component 10 is liftedoff the carrier film 81 of the blank 8, the lifting needle 43 piercingthe carrier film 81.

The pick-up device 41 is moved vertically upwards until the electroniccomponent 10 is positioned in the passage opening 63 in the carrier tape6. The carrier tape 6 is displaced to the right on the guide plate 21,in the conveying direction C, the electronic components 10 located inthe respective passage openings 63 being displaced on the guide plate 21at the same time. Provided above the guide plate 21 and at a distancefrom the latter is a guide covering 29. The carrier tape 61 is pulledalong between the latter and the guide plate 21.

In order to prevent the electronic component 10 falling downwardsthrough the first opening 23 in the guide plate 21 after the liftingneedle 43 has been set down, the vacuum pipette 42 holds the electroniccomponent 10 until the lifting needle 43 has moved back and thecomponent has been wiped off the vacuum pipette by the tape advance. Inorder to provide further increased safety against such falling out,provision can be made, in one variant, for the vacuum pipette 42 tocarry out not only a vertical lifting movement in the lifting directionA but also a slight horizontal movement in the conveying direction C ofthe carrier tape 6, until the electronic component 10 is resting safelyon the guide plate 21 and slides along on the latter.

FIG. 3 illustrates a basic sketch of the pick-up device 41 of a furtherembodiment of the invention. The components with the same functions asin the preceding figures are identified by the same reference symbols.

The carrier tape 6 is arranged with its passage openings 63 or cavitiesbetween an upper guide 31 and a lower guide 32. A film with electroniccomponents 10 is fitted underneath the lower guide. This film is piercedby the lifting needle 43 in order to lift a component 10 and transfer itto a vacuum pipette 42.

In this case, the lower opening of the vacuum pipette 42 is covered bythe component 10. An airstream produced by a vacuum pump, not shown inthis view, is interrupted and a vacuum is produced in the inner channelin the vacuum pipette 42. As a result of the pressure difference builtup in the process between the inner channel in the vacuum pipette 42 andthe outer side of the vacuum pipette 42, the component 10 is pressedagainst the vacuum pipette 42. In this case, a pressure sensor, notshown in this view, is provided on the inner channel in the vacuumpipette 42, by means of which a controller, not shown in this view, isinformed as to whether there is a component 10 on the upper opening ofthe vacuum pipette 42 or not. In addition to the pressure sensor oralternatively thereto, an airflow sensor can be provided, which detectswhether more than a minimum quantity of air is flowing through the innerchannel in the vacuum pipette 42. If this is the case, there is nocomponent on the lower opening of the vacuum pipette 42.

The vacuum in the inner channel in the vacuum pipette 42 is set to bejust so high that the component 10 is held on the lower opening of thevacuum pipette 42 and does not fall off it.

The vacuum pipette 42 lifts the electronic component 10 into the cavityor passage opening 63 in the carrier tape 6. As the tape 6 is pulledhorizontally between the upper guide 31 and the lower guide 32, one edge66 of the tape carries the electronic component with it and wipes itgently off the vacuum pipette. Because of the lower holding force of theminimized vacuum in the vacuum pipette 42, only a little friction has tobe overcome in the process. In this case, the electronic component 10 isheld by the tip of the vacuum pipette in the direction of arrow F bymeans of vacuum suction until the lower opening of the vacuum pipette 42partly releases it. At this moment, it is picked up and carried by theguides 31 and 32.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may besubstituted for the specific embodiments shown and described withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specificembodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that thisinvention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

1-22. (canceled)
 23. A method of populating a carrier tape with components, comprising: providing a packaging system; providing a carrier tape in the packaging system with passage openings for populating the carrier tape with components; picking up individual components from a support table arranged underneath a guide plate of the packaging system by means of a vacuum pipette; lifting the component into one of the passage openings in the carrier tape by means of a vertical lifting movement of the vacuum pipette; wiping the component off the vacuum pipette by means of the carrier tape; picking up the component and the carrier tape as they are wiped off the vacuum pipette by means of an upper guide and by means of a lower guide; closing an upper side of the tape by applying an upper cover film; and closing an under side of the tape by applying a lower cover film.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the components are lifted from below by a lifting needle.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the vacuum pipette and the lifting needle carry out a vertical lifting movement through a first opening in the guide plate.
 26. The method of claim 23, wherein at least the vacuum pipette carries out a horizontal movement in a conveying direction of the carrier tape as it inserts a component into a passage opening in the carrier tape.
 27. The method of claim 23, wherein the lower cover film is applied underneath a vacuum suction device, which prevents the components falling out of the passage openings in the carrier tape.
 28. The method of claim 23, wherein the upper and lower cover film are applied by means of a heating device in an adhesive manner to the upper side of the tape and to the underside of the tape.
 29. The method of claim 23, wherein the upper and the lower cover film are adhesively bonded to the upper side and underside of the tape.
 30. The method of claim 23, wherein the carrier tape used is a paper tape which has passage openings to hold components.
 31. A packaging system comprising: a guide plate for the linear guidance of a carrier tape that can be populated with components; a passage opening being provided in the guide plate; at least one cover film device for applying a cover film; and a carrier-tape populating tool, wherein the carrier-tape populating tool has a vacuum pipette and a lifting needle, wherein a lifting movement can be carried out by the carrier-tape populating tool, and wherein the carrier-tape populating tool can be moved through the passage opening in the guide plate.
 32. The packaging system of claim 31, wherein the vacuum pipette has a lifting direction at right angles to a conveying direction of the carrier tape and through the passage openings in the latter.
 33. The packaging system of claim 31, wherein the lifting needle has a lifting direction at right angles to a conveying direction of the carrier tape and as far as a lower edge of the passage openings in the latter.
 34. The packaging system of claim 31, wherein lifting movements of the vacuum pipette and of the lifting needle are in each case synchronized.
 35. The packaging system of claim 32, wherein the vacuum pipette has a horizontal movement component in the same direction as the conveying direction of the carrier tape.
 36. The packaging system of claim 31, wherein the components are applied to a blank in rows and in columns, and are held together by a carrier film.
 37. The packaging system of claim 36, wherein the blank with the carrier film is applied to a support table that can be displaced horizontally.
 38. The packaging system of claim 37, wherein the support table can be displaced in a first horizontal direction parallel to the conveying direction of the carrier tape and in a second horizontal direction at right angles thereto.
 39. The packaging system of claim 37, wherein the support table has a second opening of greater diameter than the lifting needle, which can in each case be brought into a position located vertically underneath a passage opening in the carrier tape.
 40. The packaging system of claims 31, wherein the guide plate has a first opening of greater diameter than an outline of a component, through which opening the linear lifting axes of the vacuum pipette and of the lifting needle extend centrally.
 41. The packaging system of claim 31, further including a feed device for the upper cover film behind the pick-up device in a conveying direction of the carrier tape.
 42. The packaging system of claims 31, further including a feed device for the lower cover film behind the pick-up device in a conveying direction of the carrier tape.
 43. The packaging system of claims 42, wherein the feed device for the lower cover film is arranged behind a feed device for the upper cover film in the conveying direction of the carrier tape.
 44. The packaging system of claim 42, further including a vacuum suction device provided above the feed device for the lower cover film, to raise the electronic components into their passage openings.
 45. A packaging system comprising: a guide plate for the linear guidance of a carrier tape that can be populated with components; a passage opening being provided in the guide plate; at least one cover film device for applying a cover film; and means for populating the carrier tape including a vacuum pipette and a lifting needle, wherein the means for populating has a lifting movement and can be moved through the passage opening in the guide plate. 